Arnab served legal notice not to use phrase ‘Nation wants to know’

MUMBAI: Who owns the popular phrase “Nation Wants to Know” used by Arnab Goswami in the prime time show ‘Newshour’ telecast on Times Now? Arnab, who served as Times Now editor-in-chief, has received a legal notice from The Times Group over the use of the phrase even as he is getting ready to launch English news channel Republic TV.

In a three-minute audio clip posted on YouTube, Arnab has said that he has been threatened with imprisonment by a media group if he were to use that phrase on TV. He did not name the media group. “I’ve just received another legal threat. This time I’m sharing it with you.

A media group has sent me a six-page letter threatening me with imprisonment if I ever use the phrase ‘nation wants to know’. They say they own the phrase,” Arnab said. “ARG Outliers had filed for trademark for these and similar phrases which were already filed for and extensively used for years by Times Now.

We have responded with a standard caution notice. He (Arnab) is just trying to gain soundbytes from it,”

Mint quoted a Times Network spokesperson as saying. As reported by TelevisionPost.com earlier, Arnab has teamed up with Rajya Sabha MP and NDA vice-chairman Rajeev Chandrasekhar for his TV and digital news venture. The two, along with Goswami’s wife Samyabrata Ray Goswami, have floated two companies named ARG Outlier Media and SARG Media Holding for the venture.

In the audio clip, Arnab further stated: “I have watched the nervous antics of this media group with amusement and horror for the last few months. Today I am replying to them. In public. To them, I say: The threat of imprisonment will not deter me. Bring your moneybags and your lawyers, file the criminal case against me for using the phrase “Nation Wants to Know”.

Do everything you can, spend all the money you have and arrest me. I am waiting right now in my studio floor. Come, enforce your threat. Viewers, the phrase “Nation Wants to Know” belongs to you, to me, and to all of us, every citizen of this country.” Arnab said that he had used the phrase with pride for the last 20 years, in his reporting and on debates. “Every Indian has a right to use that phrase. And this phrase comes from the heart.”